Edinburgh rape victim tried to take her own life at age ten

A RAPIST left a young victim so traumatised she tried to take her own life aged just ten.
Glasgow High Court. Picture: John DevlinGlasgow High Court. Picture: John Devlin
Glasgow High Court. Picture: John Devlin

David Scott carried out the attack during a 45-year campaign of abuse involving six terrified girls.

A judge also heard how Scott threatened he would kill one child’s mother if she revealed what happened.

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The 60-year-old was finally snared after a brave victim went to police in 2017.

Scott is now behind bars after he yesterday pled guilty to ten charges including rape and lewd and libidinous behaviour.

He had latterly been living in accommodation for ex-servicemen in Edinburgh city centre.

But, he was remanded in custody pending sentencing next month.

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The High Court in Glasgow heard the abuse spanned a period between 1970 and 2015. The attacks mainly occurred at houses Scott stayed at in the Capital’s Newington and Gilmerton areas.

The first victim was preyed upon for 13 years from the age of five. Scott would tell her not to say anything – and would buy her silence with money. She did tell her mum at one point what was happening.

But prosecutor Angela Gray told the hearing: “Her mother did not believe her and called her a liar. The abuse continued.”

She was then raped on a weekly basis for five years in her teenage years.

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Miss Gray added: “During this conduct, she would cry and tell him to stop, but he ignored her.”

The girl was also raped at a caravan park in Midlothian.

Miss Gray revealed this victim was badly traumatised due to her ordeal. The advocate depute said: “She describes two suicide attempts in her childhood. The first when she was ten or 11 when she took an overdose of sleeping tablets.

“The second, in the same manner, while she was a high school pupil.”

Scott then molested a second young girl who pretended she was asleep hoping he would go away. The next victim – aged five when it began – was told: “Remember our wee secret.”

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Scott went on to rape another young girl. She was just seven when he first struck. During a sex attack, her screams were so loud a neighbour of Scott’s came out to see what was wrong.

Scott once threatened her: “I’ll kill your mum if you say a word. You know that, don’t you?” Miss Gray said: “She genuinely believed that he would do harm, so did not disclose the abuse.”

However, the girl did at one point write a letter to her mum stating what happened.

This sparked a police probe in 1997. Scott was detained, but no charges were eventually brought at that time.

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It meant he was able to prey on a fifth girl who was aged four to eight at the time. She was abused to the extent that it left her “scared”.

The final victim suffered for four years until 2015, starting when she was eight.

A fresh police investigation was sparked in 2017 when one of the victims reported the abuse. But, Scott made no comment when quizzed by officers.

Judge Lady Stacey deferred sentencing for reports.